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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30064911">Pound Cake</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/katypery/pseuds/katypery'>katypery</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Rivals with Benefits [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (Cartoon), Sonic X, Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comic), Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW Comics), Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>69 (Sex Position), Action, Anal Sex, Birthday Sex, Canon-Typical Violence, Casual Sex, Clubbing, Displays of affection, Emotional Attachment, Fake Proposal, Fetish Fashion, Friends With Benefits, Intimacy, Is this what I think it is? Yes it is, M/M, Motorcycle Rides, Races &amp; Chases, Sex Toys, compromising photos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:54:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>17,570</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30064911</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/katypery/pseuds/katypery</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Birthdays are often seen as an occasion to reflect and celebrate. On the cusp of evening, Sonic the Hedgehog decides to take a certain grumpy birthday boy to an unforgettable night of dancing and remembrance.</p><p>This story is for mature audiences. Please avoid reading it if you are under 18 years old. Mentions of canon-typical violence, alcohol consumption, explicit sexual acts and foul language.</p><p>I do not own the characters in this story. Sonic and Shadow belong to the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, as well as other mentioned characters.</p><p>© SEGA / Sonic the Hedgehog (1991–present)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Shadow the Hedgehog &amp; Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog/Sonic the Hedgehog</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Rivals with Benefits [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2263442</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>48</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Icing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>It looks like a lot of my readers enjoyed a particular scene mentioned in two of my previous works. You probably know what I’m referring to, but if you don’t, the subtitle of this story will refresh your memory. That being said, this is another gift to all readers who have supported me ever since I’ve published my first Sonic and Shadow story. I appreciate every single one of you.</p><p>“Pound Cake” is a story divided in two acts. It takes place on Shadow’s birthday (or creation day), keeping in mind he’s ageless. This narrative follows canon events and includes other media elements. Notice that certain scenes have respective songs playing in the background, so check the notes in the end of this work for all recommended titles and their timestamps.</p><p>Sonic the Hedgehog is 29 years old in this story.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>POUND CAKE</strong><br/>
<em>And a Promising Golden Ring</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>ACT 1</strong><br/>
<em>Icing</em>
</p><p> </p><p>All around the world, birthdays are seen as a blessed date worthy of particular traditions and social events.</p><p> </p><p>There were multiple customs around the birthdate of a living being. In human or mobian civilization, depending on the consanguineous or found family’s culture, ancestral rituals were often conducted to celebrate yet another year of a loved one’s existence, whether they were necessarily important to society or not. Shadow had witnessed his acquaintances’ rites of passage, such as coming of age parties and other exceptional celebrations. Most of them included alcohol consumption, loud music and unspoken affairs – nothing too different from the half alien, half hedgehog’s broad experiences of the world’s increasingly pleasantries.</p><p> </p><p>A celebration meant change. It <em>was</em> a change on its own. Furthermore, said events were supposed to take place whenever something wasn’t what it was a second prior anymore. A birthday commemoration comprehended the idea of time and physical alterations. Nothing that could be strictly applied to Shadow. Over the years, the black and red hedgehog learned that even if he couldn’t physically age, his constant exposure to unusual circumstances served as a parameter of growth. Emotional and psychological growth so to speak, day after day and forevermore.</p><p> </p><p>Shadow acquired knowledge on something new every day, either by searching for insight on a variety of subjects or letting himself be molded by ceaseless social interactions. He consumed everything around him, discarding anything he judged meaningless or purposeless, despite his allies saying otherwise. Shadow knew what was best for him. Nobody else did. He was allowed to fail too, regardless of the whole point of his creation in the first place.</p><p> </p><p>Besides, it was his creation day. Also known as <em>birthday</em>, according to his partners Rouge the Bat and E-123 Omega.</p><p> </p><p>The drowsy hedgehog had been surprised by his team in the morning. Rouge and Omega had woken him up, and before he could open his mouth to snarl and complain about the early hour, Omega shoved a Snickers cake to his line of sight, taking him off guard. Widening crimson eyes, Shadow noticed three red tall candles burning neatly on the middle of the tasty dessert, feeling his mouth water and his mind wander at the same moment.</p><p> </p><p>He hadn’t even paid attention to Rouge’s incessant clapping and singsong voice. Shadow’s gaze stayed on the ultimate cake and its three tiny additions. Before blowing the candles, he realized it had always been <em>three</em>: Maria, the Professor and him. Now decades after their passing, Rouge and Omega stayed by his side, forming an untouchable team – even if he never wanted to admit or recognize their importance in his life.</p><p> </p><p>Shadow accepted their excuse of a birthday party, inviting them to his double bed so they could eat cake and talk nonsense after coming back from the adjoining bathroom. Unfortunately, due to Omega’s mechanical built, he wasn’t allowed a slice, beeping a noise akin to frustration. Therefore, Shadow decided to eat another piece in honor of his robotic friend. “More for me,” he had told Omega smugly, earning an amused snort from Rouge, who was silently watching their interaction.</p><p> </p><p>Team Dark’s little get-together didn’t last much, because the Doctor had launched a surprise attack on the Restoration Headquarters, currently led by Jewel the Beetle after Amy Rose’s departure from leadership. Shadow stood firmly on his word of getting the day off from <em>life</em> itself, thus Rouge and Omega left together to help Sonic and his friends gain control of the situation.</p><p> </p><p>Shadow had merely tsked and turned the television on, watching an action movie channel until afternoon so he could visit the Chao Garden nearby to see his little protégé, a Dark Run Chao he had grown fond of after the White Park incident. If the Doctor’s platypus admirer had somehow survived the avalanche that he triggered himself, Shadow would make sure he wouldn’t get another chance to see daylight personally.</p><p> </p><p>But that could wait.</p><p> </p><p>The short-tempered hedgehog noticed he had gotten a few messages from some of his allies throughout the day. Amy and Cream had sent him a digital happy birthday card each; the Chaotix Detective Agency e-mailed him an automatic birthday quote, alongside exclusive discounts for their pitiful services as a desperate attempt to survive work drought; and, surprisingly enough, Whisper the Wolf had messaged him a simple ‘HBD’ via SMS, which was rather alarming, because he didn’t remember giving her his number.</p><p> </p><p>Shadow knew Whisper was quite uncomfortable in his presence, possibly due to the Doctor’s disgusting use of Shadow Androids to slaughter her former teammates, as stated by his nosy friend Rouge. He couldn’t blame the wolf, considering he would be wary around his own presence too if he were in her shoes.</p><p> </p><p>When evening finally came, Shadow spent the rest of his creation day alone at Team Dark’s penthouse doing his own traditional ritual without worrying about Rouge and Omega showing up to disturb him. He had locked his bedroom’s door and closed the glass doors that headed to the pool, sitting on the mattress in complete darkness. Shadow had nothing on except for his inhibitor rings and golden anklets, so he put his black duvets up to cover his legs. Opening his laptop, now resting on his covered lap, Shadow swiftly clicked on a previously browsed document. It had a familiar red and yellow logo on its left corner.</p><p> </p><p>Project Shadow: a medical research program conducted by the United Federation in hope to find the mysterious secrets of immortality. Shadow had read the file plenty of times, next to the Professor’s top-secret diary entries recovered by Rouge many years ago. He had opened the report with an objective in mind, and it wasn’t related to how he came to life or to find baby photos of his past self. He’d never been an infant to begin with. In fact, Shadow’s goal couldn’t be achieved by <em>reading</em> only. His eyes were faraway, since he stared blankly at the bright screen with an elbow resting on his laptop as a fist came to hold his muzzle.</p><p> </p><p>He was trying to remember.</p><p> </p><p>Ever since Shadow lost his memories, he used his creation day as a date to collect remains of his past. Using priming as a method to trigger emotional and episodic memories, Shadow tried to reminisce his initial days aboard Space Colony ARK by staring at the results on his development. Perhaps he could be able to conjure clear images of his first days of consciousness if he relaxed enough.</p><p> </p><p>However, many years had passed and proved him wrong. Shadow would occasionally remember the feeling of some long-lost memories, although they didn’t have mass and form per say. A feeling without proper attachment to an environment or another person. He couldn’t distinguish what he felt, except that it felt <em>good</em>. As if he was in the presence of a loved one. Someone who cared deeply about him without requiring anything in return.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe it was Maria. She had always been a guiding force in Shadow’s life, helping him find his true purpose and identity. Even though he had put his past behind him a long time ago, he would do everything in his power to trigger a vivid memory of his late friend that wasn’t a certain gruesome image of the moment she took her last breath. It could be anything: a conversation, an event. Anything remotely visual.</p><p> </p><p>“Think, damnit. Think,” Shadow told himself, aware of his voice breaking at the end of his sentence as tears streamed down his muzzle.</p><p> </p><p>Shadow hoped there wasn’t anyone monitoring him through his webcam, because he looked rather pathetic at that instant. He closed his eyes and placed both of his arms behind his head quills, leaning on his pillow while taking a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, he hastily sniffled. He wasn’t crying. Not sobbing either. Those were tears of exasperation. Of anger for admitting failure. </p><p> </p><p>He was allowed to fail, just not with himself.</p><p> </p><p>The dark hedgehog tried to focus on his laptop’s screen, words blurred by his watery vision. Sniffling again, Shadow closed his eyes and let the pooling tears fall. He had a vague idea that his sclera matched his already bloody red irises. Shadow couldn’t remember anything new, except for the same feeling of peacefulness and somehow tranquility. It was nice, but not enough. Priming was an effective method, although its effectiveness depended on a variety of stimuli. Something Shadow didn’t have the privilege of gathering since they were mostly gone.</p><p> </p><p>His mouth curved downwards and he bit his lower lip to suppress a sob. Shadow tried to recompose himself by wiping off his tears and breathing steadily. Yet, his shedding tears seemed to never cease, so he repeatedly slammed his clenched fist on his laptop in rage while shouting the same word again and again.</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”</p><p> </p><p>Placing both hands on his head, Shadow breathed through his mouth, shutting his eyes tightly. Once he calmed down, removing the excess of water from his puffy eyes and muzzle with the back of his bare hands, he clicked on the second tab already open in his navigator. Whenever he failed, Shadow would watch a particularly heavy porn movie to distract himself. That day’s chosen one showed a double penetration among three muscular mobian men in a humid tropical forest.</p><p> </p><p>Shadow had really hit rock bottom.</p><p> </p><p>Letting his thoughts flow before starting the video, he remembered the many awful places he and Sonic had had sex between missions. After recalling his long-awaited reunion with the blue blur in Sunset Heights during the war against the Eggman Empire, the hedgehog smirked at the mental image of them frotting inside a destroyed residential building while Death Egg robots and Resistance soldiers fought outside. The rivals had been apart for over six months, so it was only natural it all had come down to a dangerous quickie in an apocalyptic warzone.</p><p> </p><p>And Knuckles even had the bravery to inform the entire Resistance how Sonic was busy <em>fighting</em> him.</p><p> </p><p>Snorting at the intrusive evocation, Shadow quickly read the porn movie’s title before pushing his duvets aside. The black and red hedgehog was seconds away to press play when he was interrupted by his smartphone vibrating. He blinked and a treacherous tear fell on his laptop’s keyboard. Visibly annoyed, Shadow took his phone from the nightstand and stared at the incoming call screen, instantly narrowing his eyes in confusion.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> </p>
  <p>
    <em>MILKMAN</em>
  </p>
  <p> </p>
</div>“Milkman?” he frowned, then accepted the call, ready to curse whoever stole his smartphone to prank him. “Who the fuck is it?”<p> </p><p>“<em>Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Shadow! Happy birthday to you! Woohoo!</em>”</p><p> </p><p>Shadow froze.</p><p> </p><p>That was it. A memento, a sudden flashback. For a second, all Shadow could see was a blurred image of a blonde girl wearing a sky-blue dress singing that exact same melody to him while clapping somewhere in space. The dark hero didn’t pay attention to fresh tears streaming down his cheeks as he smiled contently. He simply closed his eyes, letting them fall freely in relief.</p><p> </p><p>Tears of joy, after who knows how many years.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>…adow? Shadow? You in there?</em>”</p><p> </p><p>Said hedgehog wiped off his tears in a rushed manner and cleared his throat, making sure his voice didn’t break when he spoke again.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you want, hedgehog?” Shadow put his laptop aside and laid down on the bed.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>I wanna take you out.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Mhm,” the black and red hedgehog nodded and involuntarily sniffled.</p><p> </p><p>There was a pause. Before Shadow said anything, Sonic questioned him in an uncharacteristically soft tone.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>You okay, dude?</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” he rolled his eyes, cursing himself for sniffling loudly.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Right, uh… let’s do something fun! Aren’t you tired of brooding all day? It’s your birthday, man!</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“I was <em>created</em>, you imbecile,” Shadow’s mouth curved in disgust.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>So what? Fuck that! I got you a present, too,</em>” Sonic chuckled lowly. “<em>Two, actually!</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Is it a coffin? Are you going to annoy me to death so I can finally rest in peace?” Shadow asked in his usual monotone gruff voice.</p><p> </p><p>Another pause.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>You have an awful sense of humor, Shadow,</em>” Sonic sounded uneasy for a second, but his voice quickly changed to its jovial tone. “<em>But no! It’s a secret.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Farewell, Sonic,” Shadow was about to finish the call when he heard his blue counterpart yelling over the line.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Wait! Don’t hang up!</em>”</p><p> </p><p>The dark hedgehog growled in irritation and waited, closing his eyes in the process.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Can I pick you up at 11 PM sharp?</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“11 PM? Where the hell are you taking me?” Shadow quickly opened his eyes and narrowed them in suspiciousness.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Secret.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>He wanted to throw his smartphone at the wall.</p><p> </p><p>“Fine!” Shadow raised his voice, relenting just to put an end to their conversation.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Great! Dress your best. I mean it!</em>” the blue hedgehog was giggling deviously again. “<em>If you hear a honk outside, it’s me! See ya!</em>” then he cut the call.</p><p> </p><p>Shadow’s mouth was slightly agape. Sonic had the nerve to hang up the phone on him. Throwing the device on the farthest nightstand, the dark hero turned off his laptop and got out of bed, walking towards his bathroom to take a long shower. Shadow had a brief impression he knew where Sonic intended to take him to. It was Friday after all. And there was only one place he and his rival usually attended on late nights like that. Considering it was his creation day, Sonic was being very reasonable to say the least.</p><p> </p><p>Beyond that, Shadow wouldn’t turn down his offer since he had been the one responsible for his newest lucid memory of Maria. He was sincerely grateful for his call, despite its stupid modified display name. All he needed was a stimulus, one Sonic provided him without knowing. Under steaming hot water, Shadow smirked, pondering about an outfit for his upcoming celebration with his rival. He was in the mood to kill and exceptionally break hearts. There was no way Sonic would look better than him.</p><p> </p><p>No one would. It was <em>his</em> day.</p><p> </p><p>Keeping in mind the kind of place they probably would go, Shadow started to gather his attire. He checked the time and saw it was relatively early, so he still would have time to paint his claws. The hedgehog wore an all-black glossy leather outfit: a hoop choker; a chest harness, its straps crossed in a pentagon shape over his chest fur; a leg harness belt on his left thigh; an unzipped biker jacket and fingerless gloves with golden studs on his knuckles to combine with his inhibitor rings and anklets.</p><p> </p><p>He discarded his rocket shoes to an enhanced pair of his regular equipment. His footwear consisted of glossy black ankle high-heeled combat leather boots, its heavy outsoles in pure golden metal, affording him his notorious Chaos energy fueled high speed and, obviously, a few inches taller. He had paid a good number of rings to Tails, no questions asked, bribing the engineer not to tell his best friend about his secret commission. Shadow stared at his reflection in the tall mirror. He eyed his body up and down before grinning in approval.</p><p> </p><p>He definitely would fuck himself.</p><p> </p><p>Shadow then painted his nails a metallic red color, coinciding with his red stripes. Once he was done, blowing some air to dry his nail polish, he walked into Rouge’s bedroom, robbing one of her brand-new eyeshadow palettes as payback for the bat’s latest act of thievery. She had stolen four nail polishes from his personal bathroom. Two months had passed and Shadow still hadn’t forgiven her. The bitter hedgehog simply matched his claws and eyelids, mixing black and red eyeshadow to give a gradient effect on his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>Ready to go, Shadow got a semi-automatic black pistol from his nightstand drawer and secured it in his head quills. He wasn’t in the mood to mess his carefully picked outfit, thus whoever decided to stand on his way would receive a shot instead of a homing attack as a warning from the dark hedgehog. He had no time for games.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t long until Shadow heard an annoying sound coming from the street below. There he was. Honking like a motherfucker. The birthday boy was starting to regret agreeing to hang out with Sonic, considering the hedgehog had been honking over and over again only to embarrass him in front of his neighbors. Shadow closed his eyes and breathed deeply, controlling the urge to jump off the building and land roughly over his rival’s car roof to give him a headache. Moreover, he realized something was very wrong with that honk. It sounded <em>strangely</em> familiar.</p><p> </p><p>Shadow warped away quickly to confirm his suspicions.</p><p> </p><p>Appearing on a step of his building’s front staircase in a flash of light, Shadow took in the sight before him, an incredulous frown finding its way on his usual stoic face as he crossed his arms over his chest.</p><p> </p><p>He was right. Sonic was unmistakably taking him to a Night Show in the theater, if taking his own outfit choice into consideration. The blue hedgehog wore pretty much the same leather attire as Shadow, but in glossy bright red. He was sporting a chest harness, linking his tiny neck to tight straps in a H shape across his peach chest; an unzipped jacket with its sleeves folded to his elbows; biker gloves with small white gems on the back of his hands and calf high boots, heels a little shorter than his. They had the same design as his trademark red sneakers, including the traditional golden buckles. To Shadow’s surprise, Sonic wore make-up too. On his muzzle, right under his green eyes, there were creamy transparent markings akin to glittery tears, sparkling in the darkness.</p><p> </p><p>It felt like a fucking competition.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, it wasn’t all. Instead of driving his famous blue convertible, Sonic was riding the Dark Rider. <em>His</em> motorcycle. No wonder Shadow would recognize that honk anywhere.</p><p> </p><p>“Dressed to kill, huh?” Sonic whistled, examining Shadow from head to toe, eyes falling half-lidded as he smirked in appreciation.</p><p> </p><p>“Did you <em>steal</em> my bike?” the black and red hedgehog inquired angrily.</p><p> </p><p>“Nah, Rouge gave me the keys,” the hero calmly answered.</p><p> </p><p>“She did what?!” Shadow raised his tone at him, outraged.</p><p> </p><p>“How else would I take you out?!” Sonic frowned, raising an eye ridge.</p><p> </p><p>“You have a fucking car, <em>Milkman</em>,” his dark counterpart retorted through gritted teeth.</p><p> </p><p>Sonic chuckled at the inside joke and shook his head. He simply ignored his rival’s point and presented him his right cheek instead, closing his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Shadow asked, unamused.</p><p> </p><p>“Where’s my kiss?” Sonic smiled cockily, expecting a peck on his cheek.</p><p> </p><p>“Here’s your kiss,” Shadow approached him and slapped his cheek with enough force to make Sonic almost fall off his motorcycle. The blue hedgehog kept his ground, massaging his injured cheek while laughing. “Get the fuck out of my bike,” his rival ordered sternly.</p><p> </p><p>“Only if I get my kiss,” Sonic batted his thick eyelashes at him.</p><p> </p><p>“Out!” Shadow pointed a finger to the side, baring his teeth.</p><p> </p><p>Sonic just rolled his eyes and straightened his posture, leaving room for Shadow to sit behind him on the motorcycle seat. “Just hop on, Shadow! It’ll be fun!”</p><p> </p><p>Shadow growled, high heels echoing a loud metal clank on the sidewalk as he stomped over to sit behind Sonic on the solid cushion, hips and legs locking with his rival’s, careful not to pierce his chest on his blue quills. He placed both hands over Sonic’s shoulders, gripping them in anger. Looking through the rearview he saw Sonic grinning cheerfully. The blue hero positioned his feet on the footrests and revved up the engine, its roaring sound breaking the silence as Sonic looked over his shoulder to regard his rival.</p><p> </p><p>“Hold on tight, we’re going <em>fast</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Shadow didn’t think twice before wrapping his arms around his waist, knowing how insane he was. He wasn’t so different either, realizing it was one of the few things he tolerated the most about Sonic: his reckless nature. Fast enough, Sonic accelerated into the avenue, surpassing a few vehicles in the large highway of Westopolis, its dim white streetlights showing the way through the almost empty roads.</p><p> </p><p>Sonic actively ignored red traffic lights as they headed to the outskirts of Central City in high speed through the loop roads of Radical Highway, passing Amy’s apartment building when he turned to the fastest route to the city’s gambling district, the infamous Night Babylon, home of innumerable underground activities like fight clubs and other sex related enticements.</p><p> </p><p>Feeling the harsh wind in his slicked back quills, Sonic noticed Shadow was awfully quiet, hugging him from behind as he rested his chin on his right shoulder. He seemed to be enjoying the ride, which was a good surprise. Sonic missed Shadow’s presence when he hadn’t showed up alongside Team Dark in the morning to help his friends take out Eggman’s latest threat against the Restoration.</p><p> </p><p>It had been a tough battle, one that lasted until late afternoon. Once the gang regrouped, Sonic had approached Rouge to ask about Shadow’s absence. She simply told him the hedgehog wouldn’t show up due to his day off, dismissing her attempts to influence him to come along unhesitatingly. The blue hero just shrugged, having experienced Shadow’s sour mood way too many times to count. Even so, he would always be glad whenever his rival decided to show up and lend a hand.</p><p> </p><p>Despite that, Sonic had plans to ask Shadow out so the two of them could celebrate his birthday somewhere more private. Telling Rouge his primary idea, the bat handed over her partner’s spare motorcycle keys, encouraging Sonic to pick him up personally. Omega had agreed too, pointing out how Shadow secretly enjoyed his company, earning a nervous chuckle from both mobians.</p><p> </p><p>Amy had baked a cake to thank everyone who came to help. Unfortunately, they didn’t have enough ingredients left in the Restoration Headquarters’ kitchen, meaning the cake came out dry and without any topping. Sonic saved a piece for Shadow anyway, deciding to include a special coating of his own before leaving his apartment to pick him up, knowing his rival’s picky personality. At least he knew Shadow’s tastes.</p><p> </p><p>Before heading back to his personal apartment, Silver had warned him about Eggman’s last words afore fleeing. He would send another horde of badniks after Sonic later that day, which the hedgehog found rather funny. As if his dumb robots would be able to find him in a theater late at night. Worse than that, exactly when he would have <em>Shadow</em> by his side, who tended to lose his temper quite easily. They wouldn’t stand a chance against them. All the same, Sonic thanked his psychokinetic friend for his concern.</p><p> </p><p>Bundling his rival’s gifts, Sonic realized he was about to take a big step on their weird friendship. He chose that same day to put in check their arrangement, since one of his gifts served as something akin to a trial. A warm-up to an uncertain future. One he wasn’t sure could happen any time soon. Besides, it would also feel like a nice inside joke between them. Sonic just couldn’t wait to see Shadow’s face upon viewing what he had gotten him to spice their upcoming nights up a bit.</p><p> </p><p>When Sonic had called his dark counterpart as evening came, he noticed the other was obviously trying to control his breathing, subtly sniffling whenever the blue hedgehog opened his mouth to speak. He was aware he shouldn’t say anything right away, seeing that he could unintentionally make things worse. Therefore, Sonic decided against acknowledging Shadow’s possible hollow mood in the call. His plans were bound to lift his spirits anyway, so he would kill two birds with one stone. Whatever made his rival sad, Sonic certainly knew he wouldn’t stay down for too long.</p><p> </p><p>Because he was taking him to paradise.</p><p> </p><p>Stopping at the red traffic light alongside a few cars heading to the same destination, Sonic’s right hand came to rest on Shadow’s thigh, squeezing it as he looked to the hedgehog when he removed his chin from his shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“Is it hot out here, or is it just you?” Sonic blurted out, caressing his rival’s leg using his thumb.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you think?” Shadow smirked at him, eyes falling half-lidded. Sonic felt his rival’s fingers running through his chest, playing with his glossy harness under the jacket. He wished he could kiss him right there in the middle of the road.</p><p> </p><p>“Kinda wanna ditch my own plans and take you straight to my place,” he confessed, mirroring his expression.</p><p> </p><p>“Just ride,” Shadow chuckled suggestively, noticing the traffic light turning to green.</p><p> </p><p>Reaching the predominantly neon-lit nightlife portion of the city, Sonic took in the sight of Night Babylon’s most famous attractions. Slowing down, he looked at its entrance, a red-light district with mobian women in lingerie alluring passersby through glasses very similar to store showcases, convincing men to get inside a notorious strip club. To his left, purple colored asphalt indicated a bar, giving room to Club Rouge on the next block, their bat friend’s self-titled establishment and previous den.</p><p> </p><p>The cul-de-sac ended in an exuberant hotel among casinos and other purple skyscrapers. At Sonic’s right was the access to one of Eggman’s numerous abandoned hideouts, the not-so-well disguised Gimme Shelter. A little farther was their destination: the theater, its billboard showing a grinning man’s silhouette next to the words ‘Night Show,’ meaning it was indeed a men’s only night like every other Friday.</p><p> </p><p>Sonic braked the Dark Rider next to a neon fuchsia heart sign beside the theater’s entry, spotting other motorcycles parked there. Then he hopped off the bike, motioning for Shadow to follow him inside. Sonic held his rival’s hand as the other rose from the seat and walked to the yellow tinted glass doors beside him. The blue hedgehog gulped upon noticing Shadow looked a bit taller than him in his customized rocket boots, feeling intimidated and a little aroused for some awkward reason.</p><p> </p><p>The hedgehogs had been inspected by security before getting inside, each one receiving a colorful wristband granting them privileges like open bar and a table on the second floor above the regular dancefloor and its poles, where male strippers danced around to the background music. Sonic had paid for their entry wordlessly. As they reached the center of the theater alike club, their sensitive ears were bombarded by loud electro house music, its explosive beats serving to move all the men squeezed inside the area.</p><p> </p><p>Shadow thought he was in heaven. He almost shouted <em>hallelujah</em> like humans usually did in some religious temples.</p><p> </p><p>There were men everywhere he looked. Mobian men from different species, sizes and faces. Some hotter than others. Sonic and Shadow had to pass through the loaded dancefloor, bumping into men who were dancing and clinging to potential hookups under neon flashing lights. They were wearing similar outfits to the two rivals, bearing in mind the club required a certain dress code corresponding to fetish fashion.</p><p> </p><p>Most mobian men wore rubber and leather masks and bodysuits, some showing off their cocks hidden inside thongs to display their lengths and asses. Men who didn’t necessarily have a dick or didn’t care to put up with the shameless extravaganza wore harnesses and skin-tight costumes valuing their bodies. Sonic and Shadow particularly took a liking to discreet men, although Shadow liked fucking eccentric guys from time to time to change things up a bit.</p><p> </p><p>He loved superficial men after all.</p><p> </p><p>That was one of the reasons why his gaze instinctively dropped to said mobians’ boners, since a few of them took pills so their erections hanged loose out of their sheaths covered by leather. The dark hedgehog was a mere spectator at that point, knowing very well he was already taken for the night. Taken by the hottest of them all.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Push me</em><br/>
<em>And then just touch me</em><br/>
<em>Till I can get my satisfaction</em>
</p><p> </p><p>When the beat dropped, all men wooed and danced in synchrony, jumping and speeding their steps on the crowded dancefloor. Some guys shifted their eyes to Shadow and Sonic rapidly grabbed his hand, pulling him so they wouldn’t get lost on the way to the neon-lit stairs heading to the upper section. Looking over his shoulder, the blue hedgehog realized Shadow was smirking and winking at them like the narcissist he was.</p><p> </p><p>And people thought <em>Sonic</em> liked attention.</p><p> </p><p>Upon laying his emerald green eyes on a white mobian tiger dressed up in a similar costume to Rouge’s masked dominatrix bodysuit from over a decade ago, Sonic recalled the day he and Shadow had last come to the theater together. They had had a threesome with a tiger twice their size when they had been hunting for a hookup. Sonic and Shadow realized he was a bottom from the start, so they played Rock, Paper, Scissors to know who would screw his ass.</p><p> </p><p>Sonic had shamelessly lost the game, having the tiger’s mouth instead. The blue blur remembered Shadow fucking the guy doggy style so roughly he had almost thought he would tear his hole apart. The tiger had a hard time trying to breathe too, since Sonic was fucking his mouth simultaneously. It had been a great night all things considered. In the end, a little before heading out, Shadow had politely threatened to cut the feline’s dick out if he told anyone about their encounter. Sonic could see in the guy’s face he was still in denial that the two athletic hedgehogs were into men, thinking it all had been a hallucination on his part.</p><p> </p><p>As to confirm it was indeed reality, Sonic swiftly pulled Shadow into a passionate kiss in front of the startled mobian. All he said was one of his favorite lines used in circumstances where he had to keep things on the down low. He held an index finger to his own lips and whispered “Secret,” earning a chuckle from Shadow who left the motel room without saying goodbye to the man.</p><p> </p><p>The hunk tiger hadn’t seen that one coming.</p><p> </p><p>Laughing while walking down the motel’s corridor, Sonic and Shadow had fist-bumped before parting ways to have a good night’s sleep at their respective homes. It felt good to have a fuck friend like Shadow, despite his rival not considering him a friend at all. He was too stubborn for Sonic’s liking, but it was nice either way. Shadow wouldn’t change his ways so he didn’t bother trying to convince him. The blue hedgehog would always be loyal to his friends no matter what. Rival or foe, Shadow was still considered a friend, even being extremely hard to get along with.</p><p> </p><p>Shadow felt the hero squeeze his hand as they headed to the colorful steps to the second floor, squeezing it back in return. The dark hedgehog noticed a guy using a substance in the corner of the section with two other friends. At the same time, Sonic and Shadow grimaced, considering the two hedgehogs were against illegal drug use as it led to dependance. Although, it didn’t mean they hadn’t used a certain one once to never again.</p><p> </p><p>Shadow reminisced when Sonic had had the audacity to hold some human made white powder to his face, saying he had found it somewhere during one of his adventures. Shadow knew exactly what it was, telling him to hand it over to the authorities. Their arrangement had been going on for a while, meaning he had been pulled to another one of Sonic’s stupid antics, hanging out in Tails’ workshop at their shared house when the fox wasn’t home.</p><p> </p><p>Sonic had opened the bag and wiggled his eye ridges at him. Shadow was reluctant at first, but he complied as soon as the blue hedgehog challenged him, calling him chicken. There was no way he would let Sonic come out from their argument victorious. Besides, they were both curious to know what would happen. They’d never used something similar, then the heroes presumed it wouldn’t be anything too serious.</p><p> </p><p>They were so wrong.</p><p> </p><p>It felt like a scientific experiment. As soon as they had snorted the powder in a worrisome amount to overdose a regular human or mobian, the two hedgehogs got into a fight, destroying Tails’ tidy workplace. It wasn’t long until they set off to race around the entire globe three times over. Shadow had sworn Sonic was glowing an electric blue before taking off.</p><p> </p><p>In the end, they locked themselves in Shadow’s bedroom at Team Dark’s penthouse to have sex all day. Rouge had almost called Knuckles to break the door down, hearing strange noises coming from the room as soon as she arrived home. They even had shattered Shadow’s shower cabin in a thousand shards during the hustle and bustle.</p><p> </p><p>Shadow still remembered lying sprawled out on the mattress beside Sonic, both rivals breathing for their lives, not knowing they wouldn’t be sleeping for three days straight afterwards. Shadow had thought he would die after so many times Sonic had taken him while they were intoxicated, since he had won their race. Good thing he was the Ultimate Lifeform, recovering rather quickly after the initial shock.</p><p> </p><p>‘What a fun way to die,’ he had thought bitterly back then.</p><p> </p><p>Long story short, they promised themselves to never touch a drug ever again for the rest of their lives. A few years later, Sonic had even told him Knuckles would say they only raced, fought or fucked. He had to agree with the red echidna for once, as there was no other way to put it.</p><p> </p><p>Because right after the incident, Sonic and Shadow couldn’t even look each other in the eye for two weeks.</p><p> </p><p>In the meanwhile, Sonic brought them drinks that glowed in the dark. Shadow was watching the movement, looking down to see a stripper spinning around the pole below them, right above the stage. Leaning over the decorated railings, he noticed Sonic coming back to hand him a blue beverage. Shadow spotted a crocodile on the other side of the theater and almost choked on his drink. For a moment, he thought it was Vector. He was seconds away from turning around and leaving the place immediately, not really expecting to see a familiar face so soon.</p><p> </p><p>Sonic approached his dark counterpart and leaned his back on the railings next to him, looking both ways before shoving a hand in his head quills to get something. He hastily placed a disposable plastic bowl on Shadow’s hand, making him put his glass on a table nearby.</p><p> </p><p>“What is this? Something illegal?” Shadow spoke into his ear over the music, eyeing him up and down before moving a hand to open the lid and check inside.</p><p> </p><p>“Worse! It’s lemon pound cake,” he answered loudly. “If security sees me bringing home made food, they’ll kick me out! They want us to buy the shit they sell here.”</p><p> </p><p>Shadow rolled his eyes and finally opened the lid, picking a plastic fork from inside the bowl. “Tch. They can try. I’m armed.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re what?!” Sonic took a sip from his mixed drink, eyes wide open. Shadow chuckled in amusement. “How come security didn’t stop us?”</p><p> </p><p>“They’re too afraid to check quills,” Shadow raised the plastic bowl to Sonic’s field of view, shaking it on his face. “You should know that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, but it’s not like I go around carrying a <em>gun</em> on me,” Sonic frowned before raising his glass to his lips again.</p><p> </p><p>In the colored neon lights, Shadow tried to see the aforementioned lemon pound cake. It seemed tender and moist, yet a little dry in some parts. He noticed a weird, white coating, looking fresh but dried and a little transparent – probably some bad quality cake topping. Before cutting a piece, he wrinkled his noise when a familiar smell reached his nostrils. Shadow shrugged, understanding they were in a theater full of horny men. It was only expected to reek of some notable fluids.</p><p> </p><p>Shadow cut the cake, giving it a taste. It was indeed dry like he had imagined.</p><p> </p><p>“Who baked this shit? You?” he had to ask.</p><p> </p><p>“Amy. But don’t blame her! We were out of ingredients, y’know?” Sonic smiled sympathetically.</p><p> </p><p>The black and red hedgehog nodded in compassion and cut another chunk. This time, it included the suspicious liquid on the top. He chewed slowly, trying to guess what it was.</p><p> </p><p>“And this?” Shadow pointed at the coating using his fork while frowning in confusion.</p><p> </p><p>Sonic grinned like an idiot before answering. “It’s my… special topping recipe. I did it before leaving to pick you up. I bet it tastes delicious!”</p><p> </p><p>Then Shadow connected the dots. The taste was there, mixed with the lemon essence.</p><p> </p><p>“This is not glaze,” he narrowed his eyes and swallowed the mouthful, slicing another one irritably.</p><p> </p><p>“Nope,” Sonic giggled breathlessly.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re disgusting,” he stated before eating yet another slice, covered in Sonic’s secret coating.</p><p> </p><p>The blue hedgehog burst out laughing. He couldn’t keep up the façade anymore.</p><p> </p><p>“In my defense, Amy put too much flour on it! And knowing how <em>annoying</em> you are, you’d say it’s too dry!” he raised his hands defensively, one still holding his glass. He couldn’t help but grin, even if Shadow looked like he would throw him off the railings at any minute now.</p><p> </p><p>“Then you decided to <em>cum</em> on my cake!” Shadow’s eyes were fiery, still he wouldn’t stop chewing on the dessert.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you complaining, Shadow?! You keep eating it!” Sonic laughed loudly, leaning his back on the railing behind him. He could see some guys looking at him in judgement, unaware of their conversation.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m hungry, damnit!” Shadow shouted to his face, crumbs flying out of his mouth.</p><p> </p><p>Shadow finished the cake, throwing the plastic bowl and its fork in the nearest garbage bin. He quickly downed his beverage, not looking Sonic in the eye. The blue hero kept staring at him fondly as if his behavior was adorable. It was super irritating.</p><p> </p><p>“Why didn’t you show up to help the gang? Rouge told me you took the day off,” Sonic suddenly asked, raising his voice over the background music after Shadow came back with another drink.</p><p> </p><p>“Why do you care? Were you worried about me?” he teased the hedgehog, speaking into his ear.</p><p> </p><p>“No!” Sonic dismissed him by waving a hand. “I knew you were okay! I just thought you’d come along like always.”</p><p> </p><p>“Not my business,” Shadow shook his head, a knowing smirk showing itself on his face before he took a sip of his cocktail.</p><p> </p><p>Sonic deadpanned, then gradually started dancing to the current song, hips moving side to side as he raised his glass up. He asked Shadow to dance with him by curving his palm and fingers towards himself, smirking at his grumpy companion, who eyed him suspiciously before approaching.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t long until their bodies were touching, gloved hands resting on shoulders and waist, going up and down according to the rhythm as flashing lights changed to red, blue and purple. Sonic grinned when Shadow turned his back to him, presenting his black quills to his torso while his tail wagged excitedly against his lower body.</p><p> </p><p>Sonic, who had his body still pressed against the adorned partition, placed a hand on Shadow’s shoulder, accompanying the movement of the other’s hips with his own. Shadow then turned around, placing one hand on the blue hedgehog’s forearm before the current melody faded to another.</p><p> </p><p>“Shadow, it’s your song!” Sonic announced happily, prompting the other to dance for him as soon as its instrumental started.</p><p> </p><p>The black and red hedgehog heard its first guitar chords, then grinned. He really liked that song for an unknown reason. It had always given him a sense of accomplishment and finality, even if he still didn’t know why. As soon as its initial synth shifted to the bridge, Shadow couldn’t stop himself. He had to keep moving.</p><p> </p><p>The bass dropped and he danced like there was no tomorrow. Fuck the onlookers, fuck everyone else around him. Men on both sections hollered, dancing to the fast-paced rhythm, strippers straddle spinning in high speed around poles as Shadow put an arm in the air, fist moving as his slim body followed the pleasant instrumental. He ignored his surroundings, considering he always danced in private spaces when no one was looking. He ignored everybody except for the man looking rather entranced by his motions, dancing and grinning to match his enthusiasm.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>To the pressure! Everything’s just like…</em>” Shadow sang along, his hoarse voice clashing among dozens of men echoing the lyrics in unison. “<em>An illusion, I’ll be losing you…</em>”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Before long…</em>
</p><p> </p><p>That was when he got interrupted, because Sonic curled his index finger inside the hoop on his choker and pulled him down harshly to capture his lips in the darkness, electric guitars building the song’s break once again. Shadow quickly pressed his body against his, black harness rubbing red harness, grabbing his rival’s ass while holding his drink in another hand. He trapped Sonic on the railings as he kissed him deeply, tasting his mouth and blocking everything around them, since his presence was all that mattered at the moment.</p><p> </p><p>But it didn’t last long, because some unloved guy decided to disturb the peace.</p><p> </p><p>Sonic broke the kiss as soon as his ears flicked towards the commotion. There was something serious happening in the first steps of the neon-lit staircase. He moved his head to see security guards quickly walking down the stairs to try and convince some dude not to trespass. Shadow couldn’t care less, pulling Sonic into an open-mouthed kiss, licking his lips for entrance.</p><p> </p><p>“Wait, dude,” the blue blur mumbled and got out of his embrace, scowling at club goers antagonizing the supposed delinquent. “I’ll check what’s going on,” he stroked his rival’s cheek before walking away. Shadow sighed, cursing under his breath, and took another sip of his cherry flavored cocktail.</p><p> </p><p>Sonic approached the stairs, five security guards blocking his passage while attempting to stop the trouble maker. Since Sonic was short, he tried to get on his boots’ tip toes to see what was happening without success. He could hear men shouting at the stranger who seemed to grow angrier by every passing second. Frowning, Sonic paid attention to their words, trying to distinguish which voice belonged to whom.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry, you don’t have a wristband. I can’t let you pass,” a bodyguard explained politely.</p><p> </p><p>“Get outta here, twink!” was a patron’s voice.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s going on in here?” Sonic started, then his eyes widened. There was a cyan colored glow lighting up the predominant dark ambience.</p><p> </p><p>“I need to talk to my friend, it’s urgent! It’s not safe here! Get out of my way!” came a very familiar voice, its owner speaking harshly as if he had been in a hurry.</p><p> </p><p>“Silver?!” Sonic shouted, pushing men out of his line of sight. “Hey! He’s with me! Can you let him pass?” he asked the nearest security guard, pulling his sleeve to get his attention.</p><p> </p><p>The mobian wolf gestured to his partners to let the white hedgehog walk up the stairs to the second floor, feeling rather embarrassed for almost contradicting the famous blue hero. “My apologies, Mr. T. Hedgehog. He didn’t have a wristband.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s alright, thank you!” Sonic expressed his gratitude before regarding Silver, quills slightly disheveled. He seemed to be breathing heavily as well, denoting he had been in a fight.</p><p> </p><p>“Sonic, I’ve come to warn you!” he approached the blue hedgehog, whose confusion showed in his expression.</p><p> </p><p>“The hell are you doing here, man? Got lost?” Sonic asked sarcastically, eyeing his friend up and down with both hands on his hips, waiting for an explanation.</p><p> </p><p>“Tails sent me to find you. There’s been an atta–“ Silver interrupted his own speech, glancing at a purple bear laughing at his desperation next to the private bar. “That guy over there called me a winky and I have no idea what that means!” he pointed at the mentioned mobian, who swiftly averted his eyes from the duo.</p><p> </p><p>“A <em>winky</em>? Oh, you mean a twi–“ and there was laughter. Sonic waved a hand before throwing an arm around Silver’s shoulders, side-hugging him as they walked to his and Shadow’s previous spot. “It doesn’t matter. You said there’s been an attack?” he spoke into his ear over the electronic music.</p><p> </p><p>“Eggman’s robots will be here soon. I’ve tried to slow them down, but there are so many! And I– is that Shadow?” Silver’s yellow eyes widened upon landing on a striped hedgehog with his back turned to them.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh… yeah,” Sonic scratched his head, clearly understanding Shadow was most likely trying not to be seen by the psychic hedgehog. There was no going back now. “Shad? Shadow! Come over here!”</p><p> </p><p>Shadow closed his eyes tightly and mentally cursed. He wasn’t in the mood to interact with any other acquaintances on his creation day. Turning around, he looked over the white hedgehog, nodding in greeting and placing his empty glass on the table next to him.</p><p> </p><p>The three hedgehogs gathered together so Silver could explain what kind of badniks they should be expecting. Sonic and Shadow sighed at the same time, accepting their little clubbing night was short-lived. Before they all got ready for the incoming battle, Silver had to voice what had been on his mind ever since he arrived there.</p><p> </p><p>“Why are there only guys here?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s a…” Sonic started, noticing Shadow snorting as a hand came to his face in disbelief. Silver was so kindhearted that Sonic felt the obligation to preserve his friend’s naivety. He didn’t need to know what kind of things happened in places like that when no one was looking. “It’s a Dudes’ Night Out!”</p><p> </p><p>Thankfully whatever Silver had to say afterwards was cut short by a huge badnik exploding a hole in the theater’s opposite wall.</p><p> </p><p>Pandemonium. Men started screaming once different types of armed robots quickly overran the local. Bodyguards helped patrons evacuate the theater via strategically placed emergency exits while Sonic, Shadow and Silver got into a fighting stance. Shadow readily took his loaded black pistol from his head quills, cocking it before running beside the other two hedgehogs to jump off the second floor.</p><p> </p><p>The trio had made a plan before the upcoming assault. Sonic would take care of the biggest robots while Silver covered him by extinguishing smaller machines. In the meanwhile, Shadow would focus his attention on flying threats, considering he would be attacking from above. The blue hero landed on the stage, quickly spin dashing across the now empty dancefloor to wreck Eggman’s slow minions. He used homing attacks and performed somersault kicks whenever he was high enough to land on their heads.</p><p> </p><p>Silver was used to relying on his psychokinesis, meaning he levitated as soon as he leaped. The psychic hedgehog used the environment to his advantage, launching tables, bottles and other decorations at minor badniks. Whenever they were damaged enough, he would grab and throw them away at walls and other unoccupied poles.</p><p> </p><p>Because when Shadow jumped, he had a twisted grip around the vacant center pole.</p><p> </p><p>The black and red hedgehog shot flying robots while twirling around the silver pole on a knee hook spin, avoiding dangerous lasers and projectiles that hit the wall behind him instead. Used to both close combat and long-range attacks, Shadow extended his legs in a fan kick whenever an aerial foe would come close, reverse spinning in high speed as metal crashed against metal. Shadow used the opportunity to fire at enemies on the dancefloor when they would try to ambush Sonic, who kept destroying various opponents effortlessly.</p><p> </p><p>Gunfire, metal clanks and battle cries echoed amongst the dance pop music blasting in the background, its beats contributing to the intensity of the fight as explosions could be heard from the busy nightlife city outside. Silver kept his distance from enemies, concentrating while Sonic covered him until he was able to move objects using his mind again. Shadow ran out of ammunition, hiding his pistol back in his quills before shifting his grip around the pole, using both hands in a twisted grip to spin upside down doing an Ayesha. Glass shattered as strong machines hit the transparent surface once the dark hedgehog wiped them out in a powerful bout.</p><p> </p><p>“Throw them to me!” Shadow yelled over the conflict.</p><p> </p><p>As soon as Sonic turned around to face his rival, the beat dropped and he lost focus on the battle. It felt like he was in a trance, since he could see the scene unfolding right before his eyes in slow motion. Shadow’s Chaos energy was overflowing his metal outsoles, its green-ish yellow sparks contrasting with the neon flashing lights of the club in a circle of gold.</p><p> </p><p>He looked stunning up there. Sonic could watch his acrobatic moves for hours on end. He couldn’t lie: he enjoyed seeing Shadow in action. Said hedgehog had actually pole danced to him in a different setting a couple of times. He even fucked Shadow against a pole in a random motel room while he balanced himself with both hands around the metal exterior. Considering Shadow was a fast-learner, he had acquired basic and advanced pole dancing moves by studying Club Rouge’s dancers alone.</p><p> </p><p>When Sonic was a master at breakdancing, Shadow was a god at pole dancing.</p><p> </p><p>“Sonic, look out!” he heard Silver shouting.</p><p> </p><p>The hero quickly crouched as a stunned robot was thrown over his head to Shadow, who destroyed it immediately in his razor-sharp spin around the pole. Good thing his friends had his back, even if he was openly disturbing Silver’s psychokinetic strikes by standing on his way. Sonic shook his head and regained his place in the fight, also hurtling enemies in Shadow’s direction using focused homing attacks. It wasn’t long until there were only the three hedgehogs still standing in the wrecked club.</p><p> </p><p>Shadow slid around the pole, twirling until his high-heeled boots hit the floor with a thud. He rested an arm on its surface and scanned the area, free hand on his hip. There were no enemies in sight. Sonic and Silver approached him on the stage and they all smiled, nodding at each other in respect and recognition.</p><p> </p><p>Mission accomplished.</p><p> </p><p>Removing their wristbands, Sonic and Shadow accompanied Silver outside via the gigantic hole on the theater’s thick wall. Shadow hopped on his motorcycle, revving up its engine while Sonic stopped to thank Silver for his help, praising his friend’s fast-thinking and tracking skills – even though Tails had probably hinted at what kind of places his friend could be late at night. The dark hero also showed his appreciation, complimenting Silver on his abilities. They really made a great team in the end.</p><p> </p><p>“Did you know today is Shadow’s birthday?” Sonic asked the psychic hedgehog, earning a death stare from Shadow.</p><p> </p><p>“Really? Happy birthday, Shadow,” Silver walked towards him for a handshake. As soon as Shadow took his outstretched palm, the younger hero pulled him into a side hug, slapping his back a few times.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you,” Shadow’s amber-ish red eyes widened slightly in surprise, focusing on Sonic snickering at the duo.</p><p> </p><p>Silver bid them goodbye before making himself airborne and floating in the direction of the Restoration Headquarters to report. Shadow watched him leave, noticing Sonic staring at him. It seemed like he had a stupid remark to say after the white hedgehog was gone.</p><p> </p><p>“See you around, Silver!” Sonic called out while waving a hand at his friend, who waved back and flew away. “Bet you fifty rings he was looking for an excuse to touch you,” and there it was. Shadow just knew he would point something out.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s not you,” the black and red hedgehog retorted. Sonic placed a palm on his shoulder while sitting behind him, locking their hips together.</p><p> </p><p>“Shut up, dude admires you,” the hero winked at him, since Shadow was looking over his shoulder. “He looks up to you, man.”</p><p> </p><p>“Projecting yourself on him, hedgehog?” Shadow smirked, catching his rival off guard.</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t say shit anymore, huh?!” Sonic pouted and wrapped his arms around his dark counterpart’s waist. Shadow chuckled in mischievousness and sped away past fireman trucks and police vehicles arriving late at the ruined destination.</p><p> </p><p>Unlike the blue hedgehog, Shadow decided to take the longest route to the capital of the United Federation. Seeing it was close to 2 AM, streets and highways were considerably emptier, save for a few automobiles speeding by, carrying party goers and nightcrawlers looking for an excuse to stay out of their sacred homes. The full moon illuminated Shadow’s path, the starry sky a sign of hope for yet another flourishing night out with his rival.</p><p> </p><p>Speaking of the blue nuisance, Sonic was glancing around the skyscrapers’ colorful lights, loving the wind blowing on his blue quills as he grinned at the beauty of the gloomy atmosphere free of Eggman’s robots. Shadow saw his expression through the rearview and smiled to himself before laying his crimson orbs on the road ahead, heading to a shortcut to the forever under-construction Radical Highway, its red cables and purple light signs showing the right path.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, let’s go to my apartment,” Sonic informed all of a sudden.</p><p> </p><p>“Why not my place?” Shadow raised an eye ridge.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh… maybe I didn’t get your spare keys for free,” the hero giggled nervously.</p><p> </p><p>“Meaning Rouge wanted you to get me out of my own penthouse,” he concluded strictly.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t put it like that! She wanted you to have <em>fun</em>. ‘Sides, Knuckles is already there as we speak,” Sonic presented him a crooked smile.</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t trust anyone,” Shadow grumbled in indignation, stopping at the red traffic light in front of the town’s entrance, seeing there were other vehicles crossing the avenue.</p><p> </p><p>They didn’t notice who halted right beside them afterwards.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s been a while, Sonic the Hedgehog,” announced Jet the Hawk, standing on his Type-J Extreme Gear board. His voice caught the two hedgehogs’ attention for a moment.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>You must agree with me: Shadow needs a break. Do you know the feeling when you go out in hope not to find any acquaintances on the way, but you end up stumbling upon them at the worst possible moment? Now you understand Shadow’s struggle.</p><p>Before you judge little ol’ me in the comments, there’s a book written by Paul Photenhauer named “Natural Harvest: A Collection of Semen-Based Recipes” depicting many different recipes using semen as an ingredient. Therefore, Sonic isn’t so disgusting as Shadow painted him to be. Perhaps he’s just ahead of his time. A friend of mine sent me a couple of recipes that I found rather appealing, so I highly suggest you to check the book out if you’re not against cooking with cum. You might have a good laugh like me, too.</p><p>The songs playing at the theater are called Satisfaction by Benny Benassi, Supporting Me …for Biolizard and White Acropolis ～Snowy Peak～ by SEGA, from the Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) official soundtrack, respectively. Nothing like a dance pop track from the videogame that introduced Triple S to lift the spirits during an intense battle against Dr. Eggman’s minions!</p><p>Now that you have proved the icing, aren’t you curious to know how the filling tastes? The second and final act of this story, also known as Filling, will première in twenty-four hours. Subscribe to get a notification when it’s out!</p><p>In the meantime, you can message me on Tumblr (self-titled blog or @galsgeneration, where I make Sonic Boom gifs) or on Twitter (ask for my user privately!) if you want to know more about my thoughts on these characters or just talk to me in private. Kudos, bookmarks and comments are always welcomed. I’ll see you soon! XOXO, katypery.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Filling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>POUND CAKE</strong><br/>
<em>And a Promising Golden Ring</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>ACT 2</strong><br/>
<em>Filling</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow scorned, shifting his gaze back to the large highway. Sonic removed his arms from his torso, placing his right hand over his shoulder as the other rested on his own thigh.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Did you miss me, Jet?” he teased his old rival with half-lidded eyes and a knowing smirk. Jet was possibly out and about seeking for something of value in the dead of night.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jet ignored his question and regarded Shadow judgmentally. “It’s Shadow, right? Think you got the skill to win a street race against the Legendary Wind Master?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You talk as if you’re worthy of my time,” Shadow didn’t even bother looking at the prideful green hawk.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic couldn’t help but laugh at the rogue’s offended expression, reminiscing how he always held himself in high standards.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Gotta be honest with you, Jet. This guy right here can be <em>cockier</em> than a dick,” he commented while caressing Shadow’s left thigh, fingers slightly brushing over his black leg harness belt.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You seem to know what you’re talking about,” Jet pointed out after checking the two hedgehogs out, noticing their outfits and face paint were far from casual. “Are you hiding something from me, Sonic? You know I don’t like secrets,” he smirked, expecting an honest reply.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Instead, Sonic licked his lips and surprised him. “You sure? Want me to tell Shadow how our last race ended?” he squeezed his man’s thigh before repositioning his arms around his waist, waiting for the green light to signalize their departure.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I don’t want to know,” Shadow quickly intervened before any of them spoke.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well, it ended with him on his kne–“</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Enough of this friendly banter, Sonic,” Jet snarled. “Race you to the Central Lab,” he added to Shadow before focusing his blue eyes on the road.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pressing on his motorcycle’s clutch lever, Shadow made the Dark Rider roar twice, going forward and backward in a taunting manner, earning a glare from the hawk. The black and red hedgehog smirked at his opponent’s uneasiness.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You won’t even get the chance, <em>birdie</em>.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ready, set, go.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Green light. Both riders took off, ignoring road blockers and wrecking yellow containers that only served to slow them down on the way to Radical Highway’s twisty roads and uneven ground. Jet used his mastery of Extreme Gear riding to show off some of his abilities, performing complex tricks while in mid-air, using a boost of his equipment to grind on the highway’s red cables and rails in the corner. His enhanced Board type speed-based Extreme Gear allowed him to easily dodge construction warning signs and hover over treacherous openings on the asphalt. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow accelerated, matching Jet’s velocity with his subtly equipped motorcycle as Sonic hollered due to his love for adrenaline. Shadow wouldn’t lose to the hawk and the blue hedgehog knew it, considering the three of them were tremendously confident on their skills, besides having a massive ego each. Regardless of the outcome, it would be a good and fair race. They all knew that. Shadow evaded toll booths and misplaced sharp bend signs, doing whatever it took to take the lead.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The street’s sharp turns lagged both riders’ equipment as they neared enormous NiGHTS heads on the landscape, among lit buildings and blue spotlights coming from orange blimps advertising rings and other well-known brands. Showcasing his motorcycle’s speed, Shadow quickly surpassed Jet, wheeling his bike to rile him up as Sonic let out an ‘woo!’ with one arm up in the air before the tire hit the ground again and they sped away.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Collecting a trail of rings before reaching the immense red gate bridge across the sea, Sonic and Shadow didn’t expect Jet to recover so soon, achieving momentum by balancing over tall pillars and landing in front of the duo. Ever brash and competitive, Jet used the surprise element to his advantage, releasing a harsh wind to blow the Dark Rider off course, disorientating both rivals with a motion of his green feather fans.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow bared his teeth and tried to regain the upper hand as fast as possible while Sonic cursed loudly next to his ear. He noticed many advertisement billboards as well as placard signs warning riders about a closed road ahead, when in reality they were basically referring to the cracked gate bridge itself. Sonic gulped upon reading the signs, waiting for Shadow to give up on their race knowing Jet could smoothly glide through air on his Extreme Gear board.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Shadow, what are you doing?!” the blue hedgehog’s eyes widened once they laid on the hole in the middle of the bridge, making it impossible to land on the other side even if Shadow sped up to the maximum. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The pragmatic hedgehog paid him no attention, fixing a glare on Jet who was looking over his shoulder in amusement, slowing down to feign compassion. Shadow growled and soon enough his crimson eyes found a truck in the construction area with a ramp leaning on its back side. Jet may be an honorable Extreme Gear rider, but Shadow was the Ultimate Lifeform. Nothing could stop him, let alone a warning placard.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Play time is over,” he answered Sonic, whose desperation showed in the way he tightened his grip on him. He was more afraid to fall into the cold water than anything else.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow pressed a button on his motorcycle’s panel and removed his high-heeled boots from the footrests, which descended until there was a superficial hole on both sides. Shadow then harshly landed his rocket boots on each one, hearing a loud metal clank. He powered his soles with Chaos energy, fueling his bike as sparks flickered from its muffler to reach speeds never seen before in a motor vehicle of that extent.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The reaction was instant. Jet gawked when he heard the noisy roaring sound of Shadow’s motorcycle passing him with ease in the direction of the ramp. Stupefied at Shadow’s quick thinking, Sonic grinned from ear to ear while they rode over the roof of the truck to fly away to the other side, reaching the finish line. The hero could feel blue eyes watching them, so he promptly removed his arms from Shadow’s torso to put them in the air, raising both middle fingers at his conceited rival as they crossed the bridge in style.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“There will be a rematch!” they could hear the rogue screaming out from miles away. Jet had always been a sore loser.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Passing the Central Lab, Sonic was cackling up in excitement.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Now that was <em>sweet</em>, Shadow!” he praised the dark hedgehog, hugging him and placing a prolonged kiss on his muzzle.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hmph. Not even a challenge,” Shadow smiled, leaning into his touch before turning to their destination: the beachside of Emerald Town.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> </p>
  <p> </p>
  <p>
•••
  </p>
</div><p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Home sweet home!” Sonic announced loudly after unlocking his apartment’s door, getting inside with Shadow on his tail.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The two rivals headed to the spacious kitchen to wash their hands and get a glass of water. Sonic had downed his own, leaning his back and elbows on the edge of the white countertop. Shadow filled his glass up beside him, failing to notice Sonic tilting his head to take a glimpse of his ass under the inviting dim lights.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How did he blow you? He has a beak,” Shadow questioned in a neutral voice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic shrugged nonchalantly. “Beats me. He’s straight, you know that?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m straight too,” he stated mockingly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You don’t need to worry about Jet. It was a one-time thing and you were probably fucking <em>Rouge</em> back then. It’s not like I cheated on ya,” the hero uttered in one breath.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Who said I was worried?” Shadow was taken aback by his observation, but he didn’t let it show in his tone. “We’re not together, Sonic. You can fuck whoever you want and I won’t give a shit about it,” he took a sip of his water.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah, but… that doesn’t apply to <em>rivals</em>, y’know?” Sonic pecked his lips once he finished his glass. “You’re my guy,” he smiled at him proudly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Your guy?” Shadow chuckled, not convinced. He shook his head in denial and continued. “Don’t make me laugh.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He wasn’t expecting Sonic to grab him abruptly by his leather jacket’s collar. His glass fell from his bare hand, breaking it inside the stainless-steel kitchen sink. The black and red hedgehog’s eyes widened in surprise as his mouth fell slightly open. He scowled instantly, caught off guard by Sonic’s violent reaction. The hero had pulled him down until they were on the same level, noses almost touching.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re my guy. Don’t you <em>ever</em> forget that,” they held eye contact for a bit until Sonic’s serious expression changed to one of playfulness, chuckling as if he had just pulled a prank on Shadow. “Leave the glass, I got plans for us,” the blue hedgehog headed to his bedroom, patting Shadow’s shoulder while leaving with their biker gloves in one hand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Following his rival to the master suite wordlessly, Shadow failed to hide a smirk. He couldn’t lie to himself, he really enjoyed Sonic’s unexpected behavior. He wouldn’t mind if the hero had simply bent him over the countertop and fucked him roughly right there. He would take it all with a grin on his face like the sicko he was.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic removed his red boots, throwing them across the bedroom together with their leather gloves after turning on the lamps on both nightstands in a blue blur. He also opened the large windows, the night breeze cooling down the usually muggy room. Shadow just watched him pacing around before turning his back to him, strolling in the direction of the bathroom as he removed his red leather jacket.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Get in your birthday suit! I’m gonna have a douche and prepare myself.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are <em>you</em> my gift?” Shadow grinned, removing his rocket boots in the meantime.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em>No</em>, Shadow,” Sonic declined with a hand on the door jamb, already inside the bathroom. He looked rather sexy wearing only glittery make-up and a chest harness linked to his neck. “Makes no sense since you fuck me every other day.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow snorted, taking off his black jacket to put it over Sonic’s armchair in the corner of the room. Approaching the double bed, Shadow took his unloaded weapon and motorcycle keys from his striped quills and placed them on the nearest nightstand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Keep the harnesses!” Sonic ordered. “And the choker!” he pointed a finger at him before slamming the door.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow huffed air through his nostrils and crawled on the mattress, tidily covered in red satin sheets. A real waste for what they were going to do afterwards. The black and red hedgehog put a pillow behind his back against the headboard and sat down comfortably. The bed had made a weird creaking sound, thus Shadow casually pondered it already had its days counted. Opening his legs wide, he started rubbing his sheath leisurely, thinking back of a few moments from their sweet night out. The ride, the cake, the kiss.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And last but not least, the recent kitchen incident.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His breath hitched once he daydreamed about bending Sonic over the dining room’s table as silverware crashed on the pristine floor. He already had a grasp around his semi-erect cock, which only seemed to enjoy his hand’s treatment.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Got a li’l scared back there, huh? Thought I’d beat you up?” Sonic asked loudly from the bathroom, its door still closed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I could break you right there,” Shadow raised his voice, a grin plastered on his muzzle. He bit his lower lip once his thumb pressed on the head, circling the tip. The hedgehog slid his palm down until it reached the base to gently fondle his balls with his nails, getting goosebumps when the night breeze returned.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Just wait until I’m do–” the hero moaned lowly before finishing. “ne. I’ll let you have me in any position you want. Would ya like me for that? Maybe just a little?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I would <em>love</em> you for that,” he put extra emphasis on the word ‘love,’ gawking as his glassy red eyes stayed focused on his dick now fully erect. He couldn’t blink, mind wandering a hundred miles per hour to decide in what position he would take his rival.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’d loathe me?!” Sonic asked indignantly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow took a deep breath and closed his eyes, slowing down his movements as he leaned his head back on the pillow. “Forget it!” he wouldn’t straight up repeat he’d love him. It would sound rather inappropriate.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic opened the bathroom’s door and whistled.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You were getting ready for me while I was getting ready for you? This is what I call <em>teamwork</em>,” the blue hedgehog chuckled, gaze instinctively dropping to his rival’s erection. Still wearing his red harness, Sonic rested an arm on the jamb as a hand went to his hip, half-boner already hanging out of its sheath.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Come here so I can shut your mouth,” Shadow required in a bossy tone, both arms resting over the other pillows on the bed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And you say I’m the impatient one,” he smirked before sprinting to his man.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In a second, Sonic straddled Shadow, positioning himself on his lap. The dark hedgehog pulled him into a heated kiss, holding his blue thigh firmly as a hand stayed on his muzzle. Not in the mood to waste time, the hero wrapped a wet palm around both of their dicks and rubbed them together in steady up and down motions, leaving their tips untouched. Shadow let out a breathy gasp against his lips, shifting his hold on his thigh to grab his tail instead, which wagged under his care.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic broke the kiss and stopped stroking their members, licking his rival’s mouth before wrapping an arm around his shoulders, chests pressed together and harnesses tightly in place.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey,” he whispered into Shadow’s ear, squeezing their joined cocks to get his full attention. “Close your eyes and make a wish. Don’t open them until I say so.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow closed his eyes without arguing and felt Sonic release his grasp around their lengths.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I wish you to sit on my cock.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He could hear Sonic chuckling breathlessly at his sudden wish. “You’re really throwing away your birthday wish like that, Shadow? Thought you’d want world peace or something,” he laughed again and got out of his reach.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are you judging my wish, hedgehog?” Shadow asked without opening his eyes, feeling insulted.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Whatever, dude. Can you lay down a bit?” Shadow complied blindly and felt a hand touching his erection from a different angle. He realized Sonic had moved from his previous position once again. “Okay! Now open your eyes and blow your candles!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow opened his eyes. He was met with his rival’s hole.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic was looking over his shoulder, giggling at his initial reaction. The dark hedgehog blinked and did what he was told. Grinning in incredulity, he placed his hands on each butt cheek to spread them apart and blew some air inside Sonic’s pucker, making the hero shiver due to the change in temperature. He chuckled, finding the birthday setting particularly entertaining.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are you gonna eat your cake or what?” then Sonic licked his rival’s cock from base to tip, kissing the head and leaving his lips there.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow didn’t wait any longer. Biting a buttock, he heard Sonic hum against his cock, since he had been working on it already. Above him, the hero balanced his body on all fours. Keeping in mind they were the same height, save for Shadow being a little shorter without his footwear, he could perfectly blow him as the other ate his ass.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic wrapped a hand around Shadow’s cock, circling it for extra stimulation as he took it slowly inside his mouth inch after inch, gag reflex barely there. The black and red hedgehog’s hips bucked forward when he began licking the underside of Sonic’s sack, tongue moving to his hole to taste its wet inner walls. Once the suction started, Shadow moaned against his rival’s pucker, feeling his hanging erection rub against his chest fur and harness every time his lower body descended.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Almost sitting on his face, Sonic deepthroated his rival, not speeding up his ministrations just yet. He still needed him up and ready to grant his dumb wish. Sonic was mostly teasing him at that point, stopping only to massage his balls whenever he heard a pleading grunt. Noticing his own dick craving attention as each stroke against glossy leather straps felt incredibly delightful, the blue blur hummed around his rival’s length, earning a gasp in return.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“My wish,” Shadow protested, meaning he was getting close to his climax.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah,” Sonic acknowledged after letting go of his cock with a pop. He quickly got a bottle of lube from his head quills – the same one he had used to prepare himself in the bathroom.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The speedy hedgehog sat on Shadow’s lap, blue quills facing him. Realizing his rival hadn’t moved from his lying position, Sonic had an idea. He coated his fingers with the transparent liquid and wrapped a hand around the dark hedgehog’s erection from behind, looking over his shoulder with half-lidded eyes whilst he worked on his incoming ride.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The birthday boy was staring at him, hands massaging his back between sharp quills under leather straps and waist in featherlight touches. Shadow looked at his soaked cock, its tip very close to a blue tail. Sonic smirked when he finished his task and slid his rival’s length between his butt cheeks, body going up and down until the tip touched the underside of his pointy tail. He repeated the process a few times in a painfully slow pace, its wet sounds blending with the heroes’ silent gasps.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You like that?” he inquired in a sultry voice, mouth agape as a low moan left his lips.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Mhm,” Shadow closed his eyes and felt it all, licking his lips when he thrusted his hips upward to meet his rival’s motions unhurriedly, the pressure way too good to be ceased.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic could feel they were both close to release at that point, considering they were basically delaying their orgasms. Therefore, he aligned Shadow’s dick with his pucker and slowly went down, hissing at first when the head got past his entrance. Upon seeing his initial struggle, Shadow straightened his posture and held Sonic’s chest, stroking his peach fur around the harness while kissing his shoulder, waiting for him to adjust to his length. It wasn’t long until Sonic descended, groaning until the other was fully inside him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The blue blur started riding his rival tentatively, breath coming in short takes as he gradually sped up his movements. They both moaned when Shadow met his motions, gripping his hips roughly while thrusting back inside him in a harsh pace. Bouncing on his lap, Sonic placed an arm around the scruff of Shadow’s neck, leaving his hand on his choker as he leaned his head back on the opposite shoulder. The hero closed his eyes, glittery tears sparkling in the faintly illuminated room, and groaned blissfully. After leaving a palm around his own erection, he moved it in synchrony with Shadow’s thrusts, feeling pre-cum dripping from his tip to his already wet hand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The bed moved with them, making an obtuse creaking noise that was quickly surpassed by their hoarse voices as they shifted together. Holding his rival’s torso, Shadow bit his shoulder and came inside him with a muffled groan, riding his orgasm while hearing Sonic cry out, his own climax decreasing his ceaseless bouncing until it finally came to a halt.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Breathing heavily, Shadow put his arms around Sonic’s body, nuzzling his cheek careful not to smudge his make-up. The blue blur caressed his striped quills, since his arm had been around his covered neck. He waited until his heartbeats and shallow breathing steadied to comment on their first round.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That was fucking good,” Sonic uttered in a low, raspy voice. He turned his head to regard Shadow, who captured his lips in an instant as much as their position allowed them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes,” Shadow agreed, pecking his lips. “Now get out of my lap,” he spoke into his ear.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The hedgehogs dealt with the aftermath of their fun activities in a lighthearted way. Sonic had kicked Shadow’s ass when he got out of the bed to get a wet towel and received a punch on his arm in return, complaining about his rival’s unnecessary strength. When Shadow came back from the bathroom, Sonic didn’t let him towel him down, so he was met with a hard towel snap on his butt, causing him to curse Shadow’s existence while whining in pain. Nothing out of the ordinary.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow had his back to Sonic when he was walking to sit on the edge of the mattress, about to lie down again. It was the perfect time for the blue hedgehog to strike, getting one of his gifts from the nightstand’s drawer beside him, as well as his smartphone, securing both objects in his head quills without the other noticing. Trying not to snicker, Sonic crawled on the bed towards Shadow, grimacing once he sat on his heels behind the striped hedgehog. Setting his arms around his rival’s shoulders, Sonic spoke into his ear, pretending to talk dirty to him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What would you do if I proposed to you right now?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow felt his whole body stiffen. What an odd question.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are you fucking with me?” he frowned, turning his head to glare daggers at him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I mean it as a joke. You know I collect a lot of rings, from silver to red, blue… I could give ya one,” then Sonic whispered into his ear as if advertising a meal on a television commercial. “A shiny, golden one,” he hummed and let go of Shadow, sitting beside him with his legs crossed, very close to the edge of the bed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You can stick it up your ass,” Shadow narrowed his eyes to intimidate him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It didn’t work, because Sonic laughed uncontrollably, as if that statement had another meaning beyond a direct offense.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What’s so funny, hedgehog?” he was starting to get pissed off.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“C’mon, you’re gonna like it!” Sonic slapped his arm in a frisky way. “We could just pretend. So, would you accept it or not?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow pondered for a second, then responded without beating around the bush.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Depends.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Depends?!” Sonic exclaimed, now curious to hear his conditions. His toothy grin was lovable, matching his joyful lime green eyes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“If it’s a ring I can use, then yes. I’d accept it,” Shadow joked before smirking at the hero, expecting a rebuttal.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Instead, Sonic looked into his eyes smugly, a devilish smile showing itself on his muzzle.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh, you <em>will</em> use this one. <em>A lot</em>,” he giggled after witnessing Shadow’s expression morph into one of confusion.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was too late to react, because Shadow’s foot had already hit his chest when he kicked him playfully. Being the Ultimate Lifeform, the dark hedgehog didn’t put too much thinking onto it, not realizing his kick was strong enough for Sonic to lose his balance. Flailing his arms before falling off the bed with a thump, Sonic yelped as soon as his backside met the floor.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Fuck,” Shadow gulped and crawled to the other edge of the bed in desperation. “Sonic!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He could only see a peach finger pointing up. “I’m okay!” Sonic reassured him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The black and red hedgehog sat on the mattress, extending both striped arms to his rival. “I’ll help you,” but Sonic dismissed his assistance with a wave of his hand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No need. Stay where you are,” the blue hedgehog demanded before hissing and trying to sit down. He felt an unbearable pain in his rear, one he ignored for the sake of what he was about to do. “I guess it’s better if I’m on the ground,” he mumbled to himself before getting on one knee in front of Shadow’s flaccid cock, using his knees to steady himself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Should have done this before you fucked me,” he groaned and positioned himself between his rival’s swinging legs.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow watched him with prying amber-ish red eyes, pretending not to know what his rival intended to do in that position. Sonic took a decorated red box from his head quills and cleared his throat, opening its lid to reveal the anticipated golden ring. Shadow felt extremely tense for some weird motive.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Shadow the Hedgehog,” Sonic spoke loudly as if he had an audience. “Will you marry me?” then he presented the ring sitting comfortably inside its box.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A golden metal cock ring.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was impossible not to react. The dark hero’s mouth kept curving upwards until he burst out laughing, his entire body shaking as his croaky laughter disturbed the silent room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He didn’t know if he was laughing due to the unforeseen ring or to <em>where</em> Sonic was looking at when he proposed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Fuck you!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah, you’re supposed to <em>fuck me</em> with this,” Sonic chuckled at the comical situation.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are you proposing to my cock?” Shadow raised an eye ridge.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No, dumbass! I’m proposing to you,” the blue hedgehog felt his cheeks burning in embarrassment. Indeed, he had been staring at his rival’s dick the entire time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Then look into my eyes while you do it,” Shadow chuckled, subtly challenging his rival.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic wasn’t a coward, but he knew if he met Shadow’s piercing stare, things would get unnecessarily awkward on his part. The whole fake proposal ordeal had a main objective, still Sonic felt self-aware. They were rivals, not damned lovebirds. Shadow wasn’t wrong when he had emphasized that they weren’t together. In fact, Sonic couldn’t agree more with him. Nonetheless, the fake proposal was a mere test to confirm his endless doubts on their almost a decade old arrangement. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He had to know if it had been worth it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The blue hero licked his lips before raising his head, meeting an expression of pure fondness on his dark counterpart’s face. Shadow had been watching him while smiling affectionately. Sonic shook his head when his rival batted his eyelashes at him in mockery. Son of a bitch was acting.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re enjoying this way too much,” Sonic pointed out, receiving an evil laughter from Shadow. “Say, wouldn’t you use a cock ring for me?” he wiggled his eye ridges, roleplaying as well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow checked him out before replying in a serious tone. He wasn’t acting anymore.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Then stop stalling and answer my proposal!” Sonic raised his voice in frustration.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I already did,” the black and red hedgehog deadpanned.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic blinked. “Wait, what?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes,” Shadow repeated in a quiet tone, smirking with half-lidded eyes. “I do,” the way the last word rolled out of his tongue was too much for Sonic to handle.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Because he didn’t know if he was acting or voicing the answer he least expected to hear from him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Now he was surprised. Sonic smirked back at him, accepting the reply he had dreamed about in earnest. He wasn’t sure if Shadow’s response would remain the same if he had actually proposed to him in a different time and space. But for now, he was happy with the result of his foolish test. Shadow had been worth it. All those years were a mere appetizer, because their partnership was bound to be unbreakable for years on end.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Despite his rival being a pain in the ass most of the time, Sonic wouldn’t mind having him around for another decade. In fact, all he wanted to do was tell his rival how much he meant to him. Perhaps he could even propose for real one day like Knuckles once suggested. He had always been fond of actions rather than words anyway.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Good,” Sonic remarked, earning a nod from Shadow, who outstretched his hand to help him up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Back to the situation at hand, Shadow sat down and studied his birthday gift carefully, deeming the cock ring’s plain stainless-steel texture perfect for temperature play. The black and red hedgehog realized the ring seemed to fit around his testicles just fine, meaning they had been measured beforehand. He glanced at Sonic suspiciously after that conclusion.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“When did you measure my balls?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic had been lying down beside him with his legs crossed, arms resting comfortably under his head near the edge of the bed. “I found a vibrating cock ring inside your drawer last month. I used that one as reference,” he replied skeptically.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Were you rummaging through my things?” Shadow presented him a palm, silently asking for the bottle of lube.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic handed it to him wordlessly, fixing him a knowing look. “Yeah. I also found a big blue dildo there. Missed me much?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Your cock isn’t blue,” Shadow averted his eyes from him, working on his task of putting the ring on. He opened the cap and poured some lube on his fingers, spreading a few drops around the inner side of the cock ring so it could slide down easily.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“My quills are!” Sonic retorted, receiving a scowl in return. “Still, it surprises me you need all those dildos and buttplugs when you can text me anytime. Think I’d refuse to show up?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No,” Shadow coated his fingers with more lube, applying a generous amount on his balls and flaccid dick. “And that’s the problem.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why? Thought you liked me,” Sonic teased, eyes following the movements of his hand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I tolerate you,” Shadow started pushing one of his balls through the cock ring, pulling the skin so the other could pass consecutively.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Bullshit. You’re just afraid to catch feelings.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Speak for yourself,” Shadow grunted, folding his dick down while inserting the head through the ring, pulling the sex toy towards his body slowly. He stopped to lubricate his member again, missing Sonic’s indignant expression.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em>Excuse</em> me?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m not in the mood to argue, hedgehog,” he stated quietly, moving the ring until it was positioned tightly around his shaft and balls. He hummed and felt his erection consequently increasing, taking some time to catch his breath.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Isn’t it too tight?” Sonic looked at his cock, noticing a slight increase in its regular boner size.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow stood up, holding his erection by the base while looking at himself in the mirror on Sonic’s wall. The cock ring served as another accessory to his already provocative attire. “No, it’s perfect.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The blue hedgehog rapidly got out of the bed and kneeled in front of Shadow, removing his red smartphone from his quills as he looked at their reflection in the mirror.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What are you doing?” Shadow bared his teeth, unaware of Sonic’s intentions.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Taking a photo of our engagement.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic approached his dick, face close to its visibly pronounced veins. He put his tongue out, winked and gave his usual thumbs up to the camera, snapping a photo. Shadow snorted and held his cock next to his mouth so he could give it a kiss for another picture. He took one last photo, licking Shadow’s erection as the other held him by his head quills firmly, and stood up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well, I guess the ring fits, Cinderella! Now we’re going to live happily ever after,” Sonic joked, walking in the direction of the nightstand to save his smartphone there, its lockscreen already changed to one of their newest compromising photos.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are we?” Shadow raised an eye ridge and snorted again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You know you owe me a ring too, right? This one costed me an entire day collecting rings around Grand Metropolis,” Sonic got closer to his rival while checking him out, a finger inside the hoop of his choker to pull him into a deep kiss.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow wrapped his arms around his waist as they made out, feeling Sonic’s free hand slide down his length until it went up to the cock ring, tightening it against his body as if he was putting a ring on his finger. He hummed against his mouth and Sonic took the opportunity to bite his lip, not aware of what had been on this rival’s mind during that exact moment. Shadow dreamed about rubies, a red so vibrant they matched his blue counterpart’s chest harness.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>One stone was enough to go along with the perfect engagement band to seal their deal.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Don’t tempt me. I might give you an engagement one,” Shadow hinted and carried Sonic bridal style to the bed, receiving an amazed laugh.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s a promise, huh?” Sonic asked sarcastically, earning a nod from the dark hedgehog.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Little did he know Shadow always kept his promises. Let alone how he wouldn’t mind accepting his marriage proposal another million times over.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow positioned himself between Sonic’s legs once the other was sprawled on the mattress. The striped hedgehog captured his lips again, lowering his hand to massage his forming boner. Sonic’s hands were all over him, stroking his upper arms, back, playing with the black leather straps around his chest and leg, until they landed on his ass, squeezing his buttocks in a firm grip as his tail wagged in excitement.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The black and red hedgehog broke the kiss and took the bottle of lube he had secured in his quills, coating his fingers to apply more of the liquid on his member and subsequently stretch Sonic open, whereas it had been a good couple of minutes since their first round ended. He was wet inside, but his entrance was pretty much tight like before his preparation.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Besides, Shadow noticed how the cool metal heated up against his warm dick. The cock ring’s weight felt rather convenient, allowing him to stay hard for longer which meant Sonic would have a difficult time trying to keep up with him. As Shadow stroked his erection, relishing on the increased sensation, he heard the blue hedgehog speak.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Wanna skip to the honeymoon already?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why? Don’t you want to consummate our union?” he played along.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“’Course I do. So, do you accept me as your man?” Sonic asked playfully while bending his legs, presenting his rival a nice view of his cock and entrance.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes, I do,” Shadow answered without thinking twice in a serious tone. “And you?” he finished his task and lowered his body over Sonic’s until their chests were almost touching.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I thought it was obvious by now,” he smirked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Until death do us apart,” Shadow whispered before closing the distance, kissing him passionately while using the magical moment to ram a finger inside Sonic’s pucker without him noticing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The hero groaned loudly against his lips, not expecting Shadow’s sneaky finger to enter his hole so smoothly. “Asshole,” he muttered under his breath and kissed him back again while the other stretched him as he saw fit. Thankfully Shadow’s painted nails were slightly trimmed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The dark hedgehog moved his mouth to Sonic’s hidden nipple on his peach fur, close to one of the red straps across his chest. He circled his tongue around it as he inserted another finger, hearing his rival’s breath hitch alongside a wet sound made when more lube was added to the mess already there. Curving his digits to massage his inner walls, Shadow progressively sticked a final finger and moved all three digits in and out in a teasing manner, touching his prostate whenever they went deeper.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic had leant his head back, letting out a guttural groan as his trembling legs spread wider. He ran his fingers through his head quills, resting one arm under his head, gaze following Shadow’s tongue lick his torso while he fingered him. The black and red hedgehog could feel his dick throb, thanks to the cock ring’s tightness around his girth and sack. Thereby, once he deemed Sonic open enough, he swiftly removed his fingers from him, wiping them off on the stained red satin sheets, and grabbed Sonic’s hip, aligning his erection with his pucker with the other hand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The blue blur knew his rival’s boner was long-lasting, so he braced himself for one of the best nights of his life. Shadow entered him slowly, looking at Sonic’s expression morphing into one of pleasure as his mouth opened and his eyes closed, letting out a silent gasp while his chest heaved. He was relaxed enough for Shadow to keep going, mirroring his features when his length was halfway inside.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic gripped the bed sheets and moaned when Shadow was eventually balls deep inside him, thrusting his hips forward slowly. They held eye contact and the dark hedgehog smirked between groans, ramming his cock in before pulling out to repeat his motions in a lazy pace. Sonic knew he was fucking with him, judging by the way he looked at his face. Therefore, the blue hedgehog got his revenge, quivering his muscles to increase pressure around Shadow’s erection, trapping him inside. It worked, because his rival let out a loud grunt, staring at him in confusion.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Loosen up, you’re too tight,” Shadow asked almost desperately.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Tight as a virgin for you,” Sonic grinned in a mirthful way, savoring the moment.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He decided not to hurt Shadow any more than that and loosened up, letting the other speed up his previous slow pace in anger as a result for being trapped against his will. They made out as Sonic met his thrusts, which felt stronger and tougher than before. The blue hero’s neglected erection twitched, making him wrap his legs around Shadow’s torso to rub his dick against his abdomen.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Before long, his mind wandered to the first time they had shared a bed in a motel room. It hadn’t been so different, considering Shadow was currently pulling out to manhandle his body until he was lying on his stomach so he could fuck him face down.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow had probably gotten a <em>little</em> madder than he initially thought.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic was crying out in pain and pleasure. Without warning, his rival grasped one of his head quills roughly, raising his head from the pillow as he fucked him in merciless speed, hitting his prostate each time. The position was terrible for his back, since he was bending over. It wasn’t long until Sonic came with a loud moan, gripping the brilliant sheets while Shadow kept going, ignoring his pained whimpers due to overstimulation. He pushed his head back on the pillow harshly and increased velocity, muffling his rival’s groans when the bed moved with them, its noises insignificant next to their sounds interrupting the silent cool night.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow could feel his climax finally building up, noticing it was bound to be prolonged and intense if taking the time that it took for him to orgasm into consideration. He pulled out and moved Sonic’s body again so the other faced him. The blue hedgehog was breathing heavily, eyes barely open as he tried to watch his rival’s following moves.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Surprisingly, Shadow thrusted back inside him, another guttural moan leaving his lips as he came hard, release never ceasing. The black and red hedgehog looked into his half-lidded green eyes, glittery tears granting his rival an ethereal look as its sparkling lights blinded him. He filled Sonic to the brim, missing his eyes fluttering shut and heart beating so fast he thought he would die. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The dark hero collapsed over his body after pulling out, hugging him as tight as he could manage while positioning his head on the crook of his neck. Sonic’s arms moved to wrap around his lithe form, caressing his back and striped quills. They both caught their breaths in silence before it was broken by a sudden kiss on the hero’s right cheek, its loud smooch startling the sex drained hedgehog.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Here’s your damn kiss,” Shadow declared before chuckling tiredly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic frowned, trying to comprehend what the hell that meant. Then, as if his mind started to work again when memories of that day came flooding back, he realized he had asked Shadow for a kiss way before their ardent night even started. In front of his penthouse’s building to be precise.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Too late for that,” he laughed with his rival, who squeezed him one last time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow gently kissed the tip of his nose and got out of the bed to deal with practical matters. Sonic decided to let his rival towel him down once he came back limping from the bathroom, waiting for his erection to subdue completely to remove the cock ring with ease. In the meantime, he cracked a joke to break the awkward silence while his rival helped him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You really filled me up, huh? We could open a bakery.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Or a cockery,” Shadow looked into his eyes and grinned, white fangs glinting in the moonlight, courtesy of the open large windows.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They both laughed breathlessly. Done with his duty as a gentleman, Shadow changed the bed sheets to a sky-blue one, carrying Sonic back to his favorite side of the bed once he finished. There was a gust of wind behind him when he moved to sit on the opposite edge of the bed, but he ignored it. Sonic watched Shadow picking the bottle of lube, erection entirely gone. He coated his fingers with the liquid, doing the exact same process but in reversal. Shadow was taking his time, gently removing his soft cock from the tight ring, balls following suit.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Want help?” Sonic asked, lying on the other side of the bed with a hand under his head. He already had taken his red harness off.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m fine,” Shadow hissed and slid the ring off, wiping his hand on the hero’s discarded towel. “Damn,” he breathed in relief, proceeding to take both of his leather harnesses and choker off as well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After taking a piss and cleaning the ring in the bathroom, the black and red hedgehog laid down across the bed, resting his head on Sonic’s lap. The blue blur smiled fondly at him and started scratching behind his ears, hearing a contented sigh.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Feeling good?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Mhm,” he nodded.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow missed the tightness and weight of the ring, but it felt good to be free again. Bearing in mind his head had been resting right beside Sonic’s flaccid dick, Shadow smirked and turned his face to inhale its smell as he closed his eyes in serenity. He really enjoyed his smell, regardless of their fast-paced activities leaving them both soaked in sweat and other fluids.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In a trance, Shadow started nuzzling his member, nose touching its tip slightly. The dark hedgehog wet his lips and licked his balls, tongue massaging his sack slowly. Sonic was speechless to say the least, he didn’t even utter a sound, too busy watching his rival play with his dick idly. Shadow moved his lips to kiss his length, peppering it with gentle smooches.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Keep doing that and I’ll get you a cock inhibitor,” Sonic smirked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I like sweaty men,” was his only response to that.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Stop it, I’m disgusting,” he chuckled, stroking his striped quills tenderly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Not a problem for me,” Shadow smiled and did as he was told. “Where’s my other gift?” he reminded his rival.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Crap! I almost forgot,” Sonic moved to sit down and search for his gift inside one of the nightstand’s drawers.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Is it better than a cock ring?” Shadow asked, crawling on the bed to sit right beside his rival. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You tell me. Here,” Sonic handed him a rectangular package.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The blue hero rested his head on Shadow’s shoulder as the other opened the gift in a methodic way. Once Shadow removed all the excessive paper wrap, he was surprised to see a matte black pistol case, its center decorated with a familiar bloody red logo. Sonic smiled in expectation, so far so good.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Open it!” he encouraged his rival.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow did like he was instructed, feeling his mouth hang open. There was a semi-automatic golden pistol inside the box, its barrel and grip beautifully adorned with tiny garnets creating a perfect copy of the case’s red logo, along with other intricate engravings made of small black spinel gemstones.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was a work of art, clearly handmade specifically to him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow was definitely feeling spoiled by his blue counterpart, not that he deserved anything less than the best birthday gifts. Sonic had really conquered his respect, even more than before. The hero’s attention to detail along with his personal tastes was spectacular.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If only Sonic noticed how happy he actually felt when he had proposed to him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow smiled and took the weapon out of its case to inspect it closely. It was a collector’s edition, meaning it was limited. The golden barrel was even more gorgeous up-close. He noticed there were other additions inside the case: a silencer and two magazines, which was shocking. The pistol wasn’t exactly intended to be put to use, according to Shadow’s vast knowledge on firearms. He couldn’t fire such a flawless weapon even having advanced marksmanship to exhibit.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I thought you didn’t like guns,” he pointed out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I don’t. But <em>you</em> do,” Sonic emphasized. “’Sides, it’s who wields the gun that matters, right? It’s in good hands to me,” he smirked, nuzzling his rival’s cheek.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I–” Shadow was out of words. “It’s beautiful. How did you get this?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I asked an old friend of mine to customize it. Remember Nack? From the Hooligans?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em>Friend</em>? Isn’t he wanted for theft and extortion?” Shadow deadpanned. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Don’t look at me like that! That’s between him and the police, man,” he raised his hands defensively.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You got me a gift from a mercenary,” Shadow facepalmed. “Great.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Just don’t carry it with you everywhere you go, okay? In case this shit was robbed or something,” Sonic pouted and crossed his arms over his chest in petulance.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s a gift. I wouldn’t carry it around either way,” Shadow placed the golden pistol back on its spot inside the case. “But I’m surprised it came with ammunition.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I didn’t ask him for ammo, but Nack said it was courtesy of the house, so…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hmph,” Shadow put the black case aside and kissed his rival’s cheek. “Thank you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic smiled in triumph and pulled his rival down to lie on the mattress with him. Shadow embraced him firmly, resting his head on his chest as Sonic ran his fingers through his head quills, legs entangled under sky-blue colored duvets. Kissing the top of Shadow’s head, Sonic spoke quietly into his ear.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Happy birthday, Shadow.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nothing had to be said, because their union had already been sealed. Still, Sonic didn’t miss the adorable smile that formed on Shadow’s mouth against his fur afterwards.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> </p>
  <p> </p>
  <p>
•••
  </p>
</div><p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“…onic. Sonic!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic jolted awake, but he didn’t move an inch. He never took Shadow’s rude tone as a real threat as much as the other tried to intimidate him. Other than that, it seemed to be almost noon, then his desperate call was seemingly a poor attempt to wake him up. Sonic wasn’t in the mood to start the day anytime soon, meaning he decided not to move from his spot under the cozy duvets. He had barely slept due to a few obvious reasons, which was understandable.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Huh?” he hummed, turning his head and squinting his eyes to see Shadow strolling around the bright room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I can’t find my jacket.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic snorted and put his face back on the pillow, closing his eyes again. “And what do you want me to do? Not my fault you throw your shit all over the place.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Look who’s talking,” Shadow made a point by kicking one of Sonic’s red boots out of the way.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Shad… come to bed, man,” he heard his rival sit back down, growling in frustration. “C’mon, leave the jacket. Come cuddle with me,” then Sonic pulled his black tail towards himself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow grumbled a few words before lying down, placing a striped arm around his waist. Both of them had slept in last night’s make-up. Sonic smiled, trying not to snicker at his torment, and pulled the duvets to cover him too. It wasn’t long until he could hear his rival falling into slumber, breath very close to his neck. He was about to go back to sleep if it wasn’t for his mind reminding him to head to the Restoration Headquarters in the afternoon. They had scheduled a meeting to discuss battle strategies and counterattacks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Shadow,” no response. “Shadow, go cook something for us to eat,” he pushed the other with a movement of his butt against his groin.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shadow flinched. “Huh?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Food. I have to meet up with the gang soon.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Fuck off,” he tightened his arm around him. “You and your friends.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic smirked and moved a hand behind their bodies, finger threatening to enter Shadow’s hole right under his tail. He laughed as soon as Shadow squirmed against his touch, pretending not to like it. A few minutes later and his rival was already snarling and stomping around the room to head to the kitchen. Sonic hadn’t missed the chance to smack his ass when he walked near his reach.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>From the moment he stopped in his tracks, Sonic knew he was doomed. However, the blow never came. Instead, Shadow turned his head over his shoulder slowly and warned him with a devious smirk on his muzzle.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We’re not done yet,” then he winked and walked away.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic licked his lips and raised his voice. “Be quick so we can take a shower together!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Another regular noon routine. Sonic moved to lay down on his back, chuckling as soon as his rival was out of earshot. He turned his head in the direction of the closet, its doors slightly open, seeing the missing leather jacket folded next to another article of clothing he had secured from one of their previous encounters.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic still remembered receiving an earful from Tails in their shared house after the fox had found a particular piece of fabric on their loveseat in the living room, asking how the couch ended up with all those nail scratches. Sonic had recovered the evidence from the crime scene and told his li’l bro he had invited a friend over. Tails had given Sonic a death stare and threatened him with a pipe wrench, telling him not to bring sex workers to their home ever again. Startled, he had nodded in consideration and promised to be reasonable.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He couldn’t tell his friend the black zipper leather thong he had found on the loveseat belonged to Shadow.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sonic placed an arm over his head and laughed, the incident still vivid in his mind. First it had been a thong, now a biker jacket. Shadow had to be too oblivious not to realize he had been stealing his clothes for selfish reasons all this time. As if on cue, his rival returned to find him with a grin plastered on his muzzle. Shadow raised an eye ridge in questioning and received a wink in return. He then sprinted towards Sonic only for him to catch him in his arms as they rolled over the bed, laughter filling the sunlit room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A mystery he had yet to solve. But it could wait for now.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>First things first, I have a little warning for readers who have a dick or have sex with people who do: do not wear or let your partner wear a cock ring for more than twenty minutes. Be conscious like Shadow and attentive like Sonic. You don’t want to end up in an emergency room. Also, metal cock rings are not for beginners. In other words, don’t try this at home, kids – at least not without knowing what you’re doing.</p>
<p>So, what do you think of Sonic’s fake proposal? Did you catch all the references to my previous stories? The pieces are coming together, as Shadow would say. On a different note, I wrote Sonic and Shadow’s street race against Jet while listening to The Blood That Moves the Body by a-ha, so it can be considered its theme song. I also recommend taking a listen to Just an Illusion by Imagination once you’re done reading this story.</p>
<p><strong>Bonus</strong>: "Pound Cake" has gotten its first <a href="https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/813788951088463892/830547709026631680/Cockery_Katy.png">artwork</a> drawn by the incredible <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessicashadow">jessicashadow</a>. We all must agree that Sonic and Shadow's cockery business would be successful!</p>
<p>When all is said and done, you can message me on Tumblr (self-titled blog or @galsgeneration, where I make Sonic Boom gifs) or on Twitter (ask for my user privately!) if you want to know more about my thoughts on these characters or just talk to me in private. Kudos and comments are super appreciated. Until the next adventure! XOXO, katypery.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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